Reviews by Morningside:

Appearance- Dark ruby/brown with a very small amount of khaki-colored, grainy head that quickly dissipates. Not surprisingly, there's only a slight bit of spotty lacing left behind.

Nose- Single-malt Highland Scotch very prominently, followed closely by dark fruits, specifically raisins, toffee, rum, and popcorn. This one smells very hot.

Taste- Surprisingly mild when compared to the heat from the nose. Very "fruit forward," to borrow a term from the wine community, but the bourbon shines on the tail end. Dark fruits, caramel, and a hint of vanilla. Mild, but pleasing alcoholic burn on the way down.

Mouthfeel- The consensus here is that it is a little thin in this respect and I find no fault with that conclusion. Vague carbonation on the back of the tongue.

Overall- Wow. As a bourbon and scotch enthusiast, this was right up my alley. A sipper for sure, but dangerously sippable at that. Another great brew from Founders, one of the greatest breweries in the country.

More User Reviews:

An honor to finally try this beer. I'm a huge fan of Bourbon barrel aged beers. Needless to say I have high expectaitons here after striking gold with everything else that Founders makes.

A sturdy and stead pour brings about deep mohogany and medium brown colors with a significant haze. An initial 1/2" head of dense off-white head falls to half that and remains firm from then on. A nice Belgian lace persists on the sides of the glass as the beer fades.

In Kentucky, we are used to the Thanksgiving and Christmas holiday Bourbon Balls. This delicate desert is very well exhibited in this beer. The aroma is chocked full of deep bourbony and cocoa aromas. Here, the maltiness doesn't end with the grains, but a malted milk note persists and inhances the intrigue. Just from the nose, this is one inviting beer.

Intense flavors of strong malts, deep chocolates, medium coffees and nuts, and bourbon-soaked fruits make for a great, great taste. Low on hop flavoring, the malts dominate here. Absolute delicious blend of molassas sweetness, bourbon undertones, cocoa, and mild campfire-ish notes make for a very well rounded and complex taste.

The body of the beer, once again, favors the malts but is well balanced with deep alcohols, fruitcake breadiness, and rich creaminess (again, like the malted milk thing- think Whopper candies soaked in bourbon). No phenolics or sharp alcohols, this beer is very well textured.

As far as Scottish Ales are concerned, this one is light on the peat and smokey notes. It emphasized the rich malty flavors and textures without becomming overly sweet. Combine all this with the robust chocolate and bourbon notes and we have a perfect desert beer for a Kentuckian.

Let me preface this with saying that I love scotch ales - I love Old Chubb, and I typically love beers aged in bourbon barrels - Black Ops comes to mind. That being said, I had a really hard time finishing one bottle of this 4 pack. It was like drinking bourbon - almost no beer taste to be found. If you love bourbon, you will love this beer - but be warned that it is EXTREMELY overpowering. I typically love Founders beers - had the Breakfast Stout and Nemesis on tap last night -- but I can't see myself buying this one again.

The bottle pours a deep brown hue (brownish red when held to the light) with a one finger, off-white head that quickly dissipates. Carbonation bubbles slowly up the side of the glass.

Aroma is complex, perfectly balanced between a vanilla, toffee, caramel and oak sweetness, along with a healthy dose of bourbon. I honestly don't think a beer could smell much better than this.

The taste follows the nose almost identically, slightly less balanced this time with the bourbon taking the lead midpalate, especially as the beer warms. Heat from the alcohol is there, but it lingers in the background.

Mouthfeel is medium-full with medium carbonation. Bitterness is at the perfect level and damn this stuff is drinkable!

Overall, this is easily one of the best beers I have ever had and I can see why it is so sought-after. The vanilla, toffee, caramel, and oak just blend so perfectly with the bourbon to create such an excellent beer. I could deal with a little less bourbon in the taste (I now understand why people cellar this stuff), but that is really its only flaw. Now, excuse me why I go pick up more!

drinkability is great. alcohol is dangerously well hidden. i could drink this all night. perfect balance. great malt profile. excellent balance of the barrel character against the base beer too. this is good stuff!

Pours a murky dark brown color with a 1 inch light beige head that fades to a thin cap. Rings upon rings upon rings of lace on the drink down. Very nice looking lacing with this beer. Smells of toasted coconut, some wood, alcohol, and malt. Taste has the toasted coconut, slight wood flavors, some vanilla, and malts. I am not really getting any stand out bourbon alcohol smells or tastes from this beer. Low carbonation with a thick and chewy mouthfeel. Slight alcohol burn in the back of the throat after each sip. Overall, this is a pretty taste beer with some nice toasted coconut qualities (I love coconut). I could probably only handle one of these at a time though.

Backwoods Bastard pours a fairly clear burnt caramel that glows ruby when backlit. There are some tiny suspended particles of protein. A one-plus ecru head rose as I poured and eventually faded to a creamy crown leaving some big sticky patches as I drink.

Sweet caramel and toffee come through nicely in the aroma. Smooth notes of vanilla and oak glide through flawlessly. While there is a touch of smokey bourbon it's in the background and only works to compliment the other aromas. This stuff smells exceptional!

Flavor walks right along with the aroma. All the flavors meld seamlessly to create an excellent Wee heavy. Caramel and toffee are the base of this beer but the real highlight is the vanilla and oak from the barrel aging. There is a hint of alcohol in the flavor that wasn't there in the aroma. This knocks down the score a notch.

The body is on the heavier side of medium although feels thick and creamy on the tongue. Velvety smooth as it glides along. I'd venture to guess the barrel aging makes the body as velvety as it is.

This beer is very easy to sip. It's cold outside, there's football on tv and this is the beer I'd most like to be drinking right now. Hits the spot.

I don't think this needs to be said but this is another great beer from Founders. They've really opened things up this year with all the new bottled releases. A great beer from one of the best breweries in the country.

A: Pours dark hickory-brown into an oversized wine glass. A tiny head disappears quickly. The lacing is mostly dotty and sticky. When held to the light, this crotchety fella is impenetrable to the eye.

S: I don't really know how an aroma can be creamy, but this is. It makes me genuinely excited to partake. The bourbon/oak smells support a caramel-vanilla-maple malt aroma. I find myself taking this into my olfactory organs over and over. In Utopia, this is exactly how autumn in an enchanted forest would smell.

T: Rich. Full. Creamy. Chewy. Everything I detected in the aroma is present in the taste. Somewhat surprisingly, though, the maple sweetness that I smelled is just a little under-represented in the taste. I think the bourbon oak barrel flavor is overwhelming the malt sweetness a tad too much. The taste experience of a sip of this brew is akin to an Orchestra playing the hell out of a Mahler Symphony, only to fall about 10% short of reaching the full color spectrum at the climax of the piece.

M: Repeat the first four sentences of my taste review. I also enjoy the dryness of the finish, but I wish the sweetness of the brew would coat my palate just a a smidge more.

D: Excellent. This is a very well crafted beer. I could imagine having more than one of these in a sitting, but eventually the high a.b.v. would put an end to that.

1yr old 2007 brew(Served in a snifter)A- Dark brown body with a faint red glow thick creamy yellowish head good strong carbonation of tiny bubbles.

S- Still a big wet oaky barrel with some nice dark dry malty notes. Make you want to sniff for days.

T- Nice full bourbon flavor with big oaky vanilla flavors and some roasted malt flavors. There is a burnt wood malt flavor to the bourbon in the finish. This lingers for a bit after each sip.

M- This beer has a medium mouthfeel with a creamy texture as long as the head last. There is a soft smooth alcohol heat that supports the flavors.

D- This beer is great fresh and it is just a good with some age on it although I didn't really notice much change. ---(Served in a snifter)

A- This beer has a deep auburn-brown body that is a bit dense but still clear. There is a creamy light tan head that sticks to the glass and last long after the beer does. It also has a nice slow carbonation of tiny bubbles that support the head.

S- The smell of big vanilla and bourbon has notes of dry toasted malt and apple wood smoke to them. There is a slight sweetness to the smoke and the aromas are big with some nice depth.

T- The taste of big oak and some nice prune flavors and a bourbon/vanilla flavor to it. There is a soft butterscotch flavor followed by a spicy bourbon note and some bitter hops that finish off the beer nicely.

M- This beer has a medium mouthfeel with a soft heat that lingers with the bourbon and hops taste.

D- This beer has a bit more sweetness to the malt which adds more depth to the bourbon and wood. This is a great beer for the winter months ahead. It will pair well with a warm fire, cold winter nights and perhaps a cigar.

A - It's difficult to see any clarity through this dark beer but it's ruby-hued mahogany color looks beautiful when held up to light. Little head forms over the surface of the beer but the tan skim and ring of foam stick around and dot the glass in specks of lace.

S - Building in intensity as it warms, Backwoods Bastard transitions from bold vanilla and warm bourbon oak nuances to a depth of malt complexity characterized by molasses, dark chocolate covered raisins, and a colossal bready, caramel and toffee sweetness.

M - Smooth, delectable, and warming, Backwoods Bastard is anything but rough around the edges as it crosses the palate with simplistic ease, only to finish with a touch of carbonation and alcohol warmth.

O - Backwoods Bastard may have a rough, grizzly exterior, but it's a gooey, soft-on-the-inside sipping dessert beer that's seeping with malty sweetness reminiscent of Milano cookies and home-made bourbon balls. It's moderate barrel-aging makes it great fresh but also allows it to age gracefully for a beer that develops for years to come.

12oz into Newport Storm pint glass. 2010 bottling. Thought the first bottle was off, so I drank another the following night.

A- Dark roasty brown, a bit of a light brown head that fizzes out.

S- Bourbony notes, caramel/molasses. Nothing great, nothing awful.

T- Taste is bourbony, but not very good. Earthy, musty, dull, and oxidised. There is a heavy burbon note but it's dull and unexciting. Where's the vanilla and oak? All I'm getting is burnt sugar and dull earthy notes. Unappologetic booze permiates, but I've had far boozier beers that incorporate it better.

M- Decent enough body and carbonation but there are some off-notes in the flavor and finish that I'm not really enjoying.

D- Low. Thought I was going to enjoy this one as the chatter in the forums is quite abuzz over this beer. Not the case- I'm going to gift out the two remaining bottles as I don't want to drink this. Not a drainpour, but not enjoyable. I love bourbon, straight up, on the rocks, and in my beers, but this one was a misfire IMO.

What kind of barrels are these in? Remind me never to buy that bourbon.

Years trapped in wood,Crawling out covered in syrup,Eyes flash to the bar,Grin of missing teeth.

A: Caramel brown and brilliantly clear -- a thick creamy head that just refused to subside (3/3)S: Like a shortbread cookie at first, then blending to clear bourbon and booze, with notes of raisin and toffee in the middle (9/12)T: Remarkably rich and dessert-like (burnt toffee on a sweet whiskey-soaked sponge cake?), but that alcohol (with a bit of coffee maybe?) kicks you in the ass at the end(17/20)M: Very creamy, surprisingly so given the superbly clear appearance (4/5)O: Tread lightly, this old bastard shoots to kill. This is a great cure for a cold night or a good companion for a small, rich dessert. Otherwise, this guy is going to overpower anything it touches. (8/10)41/50

Ahh the Lions,enough said.Backwoods Bastard poured into a small tulip glass an awesome deep mahogany with with amber hue,a tight formed clingy tannish colored head atop,great clarity and a great pour.Deep complex malt aromas with the bourbon barrel showing through,vanilla and cherry notes dominate with some wood and a tinge of sweet alcohol.Obviously not a beer to start turkey day with but I did,its a sipper but not a head knocker.Flavors are pretty sweet up front with vanill,caramel and cherry flavors dominating,the bourbon flavor is prevelent but not overpowering,theere is a noticeablr drying leafy finish.A great beer,like I said asipper but it wont slow you down to much,a few of these and I might enjoy the Lions game.

Brewed in 2011. Pours a very deep copper-orange color, very cloudy, very hazy, and very heavy looking. Almost no noticeable carbonation and practically no head formation, even after a vigorous pour. The aroma is full of vanilla, bourbon, and burnt oak chips. The mouth contains a heavy dose of bourbon, vanilla, and caramel malt up front. The background contains a bit of sweetness, and I'm really tasting a faint cherry flavor, which goes well with the heavy vanilla. There's also a slightly buttery and bready aftertaste. No noticeable "hop" bitterness but the bourbon provides the sought after "bite" on the tongue. The body is thick and chewy and leaves the mouth quite sticky.

Overall, a very good bourbon forward beer that must be sipped slowly. The alcohol is heavy but soothing and warm, rather than harsh and abrasive. Founder's can do no wrong.

EDIT: had a bottle from 2010. Bourbon notes are more mellow, much heavier on the vanilla and oak accents. Much to my surprise, this one had more carbonation. Once again, awesome brew.